On The Way

You carry Daisy to the breeding hall, and Leraje and Redhoof follow.

Leraje pokes you with your staff as you walk. "She gained five levels?" she asks. "Is that a class feature from you, or from her?"

"It's from my class," Daisy says. "Tauren Breeder. We get experience for sex, pregnancy, and childbirth. I'm level thirty-six now!"

You're not sure how you feel about this. A whole class just for pumping out babies super fast? This is more of Carnachias's work, you assume. You imagine it keeps the population up -- but what would happen in peacetime? Minotaur warriors would flood the nation, unless they stopped breeding somehow. Maybe that's why divine mana is required -- it's a failsafe to prevent a population explosion?

More likely, Carnachias couldn't get it to work without divine mana. She didn't seem to you like the sort of goddess that builds failsafes into things.

Your hindbrain nudges you, and you continue the conversation. "It's from her class," you agree. "Are you looking for extra experience? I make a lot of it, and I can do an experience share. For the right price."

Leraje practically chokes. "Do I want extra experience, he says?"

She waves her hands. "More adventurers attack every hour, and Citrinas is going to show up any day now, and I get Void Beam as my capstone, and it sure would be nice to have that unlocked when she gets here. So, yes. Yes, I would like some extra experience. How much can you get me?"

You send a party invite, and she joins a moment later. LERAJE, it says. Level 90, 50K hit points, 1.3M mana. Buffs include Personal **** Field III and Mana Reuse. Debuffs include Mana Corruption 27% and Exhaustion II.

You frown. Exhaustion II?

"About the price," you say. "Take a look at this." You share Breed Court Mage Leraje [9Mxp] to your new party member, and her mouth tightens for a moment.

"Ah, yes," she says. "The Dark Goddesses, and their famed sense of humor."

"They're not so bad, really," you say. "How much is nine million experience?"

Your interface flickers with a message from your hindbrain.

Multislime: 60Kxp/100Kxp to evolve
Social Ranger (T3): 60Kxp/100Kxp to T4
Deep Cover Infiltrator (L50): 60Kxp/500Kxp to T3

"Let me put it this way," Leraje says. "My entire adult life, I've earned around ten million total. It'll take four million more to cap out, and I'm down for whatever that costs me."

"...So," she asks, "how's this work exactly? We duck into an alcove, and I walk out five minutes later, Level 99 with a new passenger?"

Duck into an alcove? Ew, no. You almost shudder.

These tauren are easy: they just need a thorough dicking. The Court Mage, you're pretty sure, needs to be romanced. Not, like, a candlelight dinner -- not with you as a giant slime-monster, at least. More like: a warm hug, a good meal, a solid night's rest, some words of encouragement. And then a thorough dicking, of course. But an affectionate one.

Also, this woman seems both powerful and competent, and you'd rather have a relationship with her that's not just five minutes in an alcove.

"An alcove? I'll... think about it," you mumble. "Maybe later."

Deeper in the fortress, someone is shouting. "Intruders! Paladins near the southern dungeon, heading for the Crimson Bull!" Heavy footsteps echo.

"How about you, Redhoof?" you ask, changing the subject. "What's your deal?"

"My class is Seer," she says. "Not a future-seer. I see the present. The Army of Light outside our fortress, sending adventurer raids to weaken us. Citrinas herself: just a day away, but she's been distracted by the Hollow Eyes dungeon. Things like that. It sounds like a good power, but it's only really useful if I know what to look at."

"I also," she adds awkwardly, "have a knack for administration."

"I... see," you say. "Got any dirt on Citrinas? Secret weaknesses? I hear she's bad with people."

"Terrible with people," Redhoof agrees. "But she's found a workaround. She goes everywhere with a lie detection spell. Very high level. She keeps rooting out our spies."

"She's also got a nasty anti-scrying spell," Leraje notes. "Gives Redhoof migraines for hours. She only casts it if she notices us, so we've been pooling efforts to work on stealth scrying. Among, like, ten other projects."

The despair in her voice is unsettling.

"...Well," you say. "Sounds like you're both trying hard, at least. We'll get this! Together!"

"Not a chance in the hells," Leraje answers. "Personally, I'm hoping for a clean ****."

You walk the rest of the way in silence.